Conservatives save our commercial breaks

Millions can still enjoy their cuppa during advert breaks thanks to Conservative MEPs

Strasbourg, 13 December 2006 — Kettles will continue to boil during commercial breaks across the country thanks to Conservative MEPs today.

The “TV Without Frontiers” directive, which aims to establish common rules for television broadcasts, would have required television companies to have advert breaks during programmes once every 45 minutes instead of once every 30 minutes as now, a proposal which would have halved advertising revenue.

The millions who reach for the teabags during breaks in films, news bulletins and children’s programmes had faced a change to their armchair habits if Conservative MEP’s had not voted to reject the proposal in the European Parliament today.

There was just one vote in the decision this lunchtime that would have had a knock-on effect throughout the advertising and television industry through to every lounge in the UK.

But today in Strasbourg Conservative MEPs fought to reintroduce the 30 minute gap we are used to in the UK and won.

Sir Robert said: “The 45 minute rule would have seen the end of the half way break in programmes like news bulletins and children’s television. The proposal would have created havoc with UK commercial stations, cut their revenue, messed up their scheduling and skewed the 30 minute programmes we are used to.“